I find it funny that people defend the $100 housing fee. I’m a middle class person with 4 kids. Every dollar counts. I graduated from Texas back when Applewhite was playing. Why can’t Texas allow you to sign up for housing after you are accepted? Simple question. Which has not been answered. CFP they are making money and if you ask students that go there or went there they (just like many other universities nickel and dime you to death. Simple answer it’s a money grab. It’s a bad practice and they should consider doing what some other colleges do. I don’t see how anyone can defend this practice.
Good luck to your daughter! Hope she gets in.
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Who said UT makes you pay the housing application fee before acceptace? UT most definitely allows you to pay the $100 after acceptance - or not at all. Living on campus is not required.
Many freshmen bypass dorm life, dining halls, and community bathrooms and go straight to apartments in west campus so they can have their own rooms, so they can have say 4, 6, 10 of their closest friends as guaranteed roommates all in the same unit (yes, there are actually 10 bedroom apartments), so they can have their own bathrooms, cook their own meals (especially nice if they have dietary needs or allergies).
The only reason we seasoned veterans say to pay it early before acceptance is IF the type of room you get is important to you as it is first come first serve when they hand out selection slots. Many people are satisfied with any dorm and a random roommate. Mine was not. He pulled in his roommate, selected first, got the exact dorm and floor he wanted (an oversized room at that with tower view and a private bath).
There are lots of people that are happy to select later or not at all and live off-campus. But there are quite a few who complain in the forums that they hate community bath, no private baths were left, couldnt find a room with 2 open beds to pull in the desired roommate, or hate the less-popular dorms (looking at you Creekside) because they paid last and chose last.
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Exactly. That’s the part of this whole discussion that has confouned me. You don’t have to pay the fee before acceptance; that is a personal choice in order to secure (the perception of) more favorable housing. It’s like choosing to pay for a more expensive concert ticket to sit in the front.
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Exactly! And there are plenty of times financially I am super happy with UT.
The state legislators approved no tuition hike (again) this year. And the tuition bills I do get are way better than my relatives with kids at other unis. One semester (depending on major cuz it will varies slightly) is about $6500 for tuition. Guess how many dollars in fees were tacked on to that this semester? ZERO. No fees. Incoming freshmen pay a $10 general services fee. Unless you are in a niche profession, like maybe nursing with some special lab fees that is it. No fees.
Required textbooks books for last semester (science major) = $158.01 total (I track every penny for taxes). Not bad and that includes the online platform for one class.
Now parking, yeah that IS expensive (and another lottery for which garage you get if you are in the dorms). But again, it’s optional…like the housing application fee. You totally dont have to bring a car at UT and many advise not to as a freshman at least.
Simple answer - they do.
By the way, Texas doesn’t have jackbooted thugs travelling the state forcing people at gunpoint to pay this fee.
This point became an oddity because someone earlier in this thread said that the unfairness of the $100.00 fee (which no one has to pay ahead of time) somehow justified paying almost 300K in tuition to Notre Dame rather than about 50K at Texas.
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LOL the silly fighting in here over a $100 fee keeps making me think another wave has happened…
Do y’all think there will be another wave before the 15th? I’d assume not, but I’ve got major anxiety about getting deferred then due to the number of applications, even as an auto-admit. Do we think it’s going to be as bad this year, or will they have learned from last year?
Additionally, has anyone heard back from Plan II or LAH? I applied P2 as my first choice major and I am so, so very excited about it, but also have been filled with anxiety since October and cried about it multiple times :”) I’m not as worried about getting into LAH, because I’ve been assured I have a very good chance, but PII feels like a shot in the dark (even with an older sibling currently in the program advising me)
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I havent seen any honors release posts in any forums so far. Last year my kid’s honors decision came via email at the beginning of March (and he was admitted EA on 1/15 last cycle). I think early March is typical for honors decisions with the exception of Plan II which is a different animal since it is a major unto itself.
I personally think you wont see anything about acceptance til 1/15 at 4pm. And I think it will be more mass deferral as that is quite typical if you look at USC (both CA and SC), Michigan, UNC CH. They all defer(red) in high numbers. At least UT doesnt reject or waitlist, it will be accept or defer on 1/15. My opinion only.
For possible waves, I always look to the texadmission guy (the former AO turned college consultant) for all things UT. This is what he had to say on the latest kind of typical/tiny December wave:
“Fall 2026 Update #1 December 15, 2025: A small batch of STEM/business admissions offers have released. I will update this post later by collapsing all of the updates from previous cycles.
I receive these frequently asked questions around this same time every year. We can only speculate on how UT might release their admissions decisions. Every year is different, and they often implement changes on a whim without communicating anything to the public or even to high school counselors behind the scenes. There is no rhyme or reason why some students hear back early, and others don’t. You will find nothing but frustration, dead ends, and suspicion towards your friends if you try to read the UT admissions tea leaves and divine how it works. Almost all of my clients gain admission in January/February, and few, if any, gain admission early nowadays.
Nobody has a crystal ball and can predict when and who will find out early. Not even UT admissions counselors know.“
He also lists all release movements in the UT portal going back to 2020 in his blog if you want to pass the time reading his input: "When might I receive my UT-Austin major decision? Does UT have rolling admissions for freshman?" — Tex Admissions
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My son applied to the Honors and to regular major early decision. How does it work? When do we receive answers in January or March?
Acceptances to UT and the major come on their EA or RD day (last year those were 1/15 and 2/9 which was a bit ahead of the advertised “by 2/15”). Honors decision offer for my LH came by email the very beginning of March (he was accepted to his major on EA day 1/15 last cycle) along with a small merit scholarship to accept/reject. I have heard most honors decisions are similar (except Plan II because it is a major not just an honors program).
I hear engineering is the only college that give more sizable merit money with honors, most others are very small keeping with UT’s aura of “need generous, merit stingy” but tuition is so reasonable in-state we just keep that in perspective and look at it as icing on the cake.
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Last year my daughter got her major (CS)decision on Jan15th and honors (CSB)on Feb3rd week. I noticed that honors decisons came in waves too last year.
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Agree $100 issue is silly but UT Austin housing issue is not (for middle to lower income families). Even admitted by UTA officials & current students in the below video. New dorms are being built to help.
Portal astrology. On Facebook, someone posted this update to their student’s portal under the UT Austin personal information registration page
I dont even see a Navigation tab. No changes yet that I can see.
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Hmmm, my application portal doesn’t look like that. I don’t see a Navigation Menu. Different portal?
Check the UT Austin personal information registration page.
Found it! No “update” in mine.
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What do you mean by this? I am on MyStatus and don’t see a personal information registration page?
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I don’t mean anything. Just sharing something I saw on Facebook. A parent posted that there was an update or change. I have no idea if it means anything, but shared.
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